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Trump Announces Deal for Hamas to Disarm; UEFA Vows to Skip World Cups Over Private Investment Plan; Migrants Breach Spain's Border. Questions Linger After Missile Lands In Poland; Ukraine Steps Up Attacks On Russian Retailer Wildberries; Man Who Witnessed Fatal ICE Shooting Speaks to CNN. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired July 31, 2026 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hello, wherever you are in the world. You are now in the "CNN newsroom" with me, Ben Hunte, in Atlanta. It is so good to have you with me.

Coming up on the show, President Trump says a deal has been reached for the full disarmament of Hamas, but the militant group has yet to confirm that claim. Europe's main soccer body says it is ready to boycott the World Cup. That is unless FIFA abandons a controversial plan to sell stakes for the major tournament to private investors. And Spain forced to reinforce its border after thousands of migrants from Morocco make their way into the country.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom with Ben Hunte."

HUNTE: Welcome. President Trump is hailing what he calls a historic agreement with Hamas. He says a deal has been reached to fully disarm Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. The president says the agreement would pave the way for Gaza to be governed by a new Palestinian government working alongside his board of peace while ensuring Israel will have the security it deserves.

Disarming Hamas is essential to carrying out President Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, but Hamas has not yet confirmed the deal. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, that is another militant group in Gaza, said the reports of the agreement were -- quote -- "inaccurate."

We are getting reports of new Iranian strikes after Tehran vowed retaliation for the latest wave of U.S. attacks. Iranian state media says Iran targeted military infrastructure at an airbase in Kuwait. It released video apparently showing Iranian forces launching the strikes.

Meanwhile, Egypt is being pulled into the war for the first time. Egyptian officials say a drone hit one of the country's ports, setting two ships on fire. No one has claimed responsibility yet. Iran's foreign minister says Egypt's security is of utmost importance. Abbas Araghchi urged vigilance against what he called false-flag operations designed to undermine regional peace. He also warned Cyprus and Bulgaria against allowing the United States to use their military bases to launch attacks on Iran.

As the war rages on, Iranians face growing economic pressures. Now, the U.S. is issuing a new round of sanctions on Iran. The sanctions target Mahan Air along with individuals and companies that help sustain its operations. The U.S. Treasury Department claims the Iranian carrier transports Iran's revolutionary guard along with weapons and drones, too. The U.S. is also sanctioning two organizations that it says help Iran monetize the Strait of Hormuz. The treasury department says they provide insurance and maritime services that help Iran tighten its control over shipping and funnel money to the IRGC.

I spoke with Hadi Kahatzadeh about the state of Iran's economy. He explains how Iranians are handling the crisis and what to expect in the coming weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HADI KAHATZADEH, NON-RESIDENT FELLOW, QUINCY INSTITUTE: Right now, this experience, the highest inflation rate in its history, modern history, and foreclose like half of the population right now experience hundred percent inflation year and labor market lost its contract that end to 12 percent, that is the largest amount.

But the problem is not just economy, but it is like uncertainty, the PVP, where people are living in constant uncertainty, that the problem is that they can't make any plan for the future. They have no hope that, you know, there is any change, a meaningful change on the horizon. So, this uncertainty and life feels suspended is drawing for many.

HUNTE: What are the biggest warning signs you're going to be watching for over the next few weeks that are going to tell you Iran's economy is getting worse or beginning to recover?

KAHATZADEH: So, according to the last data that we have, inflation this month after MOU, the monthly inflation was nine percent and June was three percent.

[02:05:06]

And so, some index in these shows that the perception of economic elites and activists regarding the, you know, situation getting better is not much better than before, but it seems that the economy shows some sort of resilience. But it doesn't mean that -- you know, it means that the resilience is good for, you know, avoiding collapse, but the system learned how to manage or distribute the cost of, you know, economic pain or economic pressure distributed unevenly between the people.

So, those who -- public employees who are affiliated with the government, they are protected more. But the massive population, you know, has less protection, social protection, pay more. So, because the distribution of the impact, the adverse impact is uneven, the system survives, but the system is very costly, particularly for people.

So, we don't see Iran -- I'm not expecting any collapse, economic collapse, but the inflation, the poverty and, you know, the daily life of people would get worse definitely in coming months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: FIFA is standing its ground after a stark threat from European football's governing body, that is UEFA, and says it will indeed push ahead of a controversial plan to bring private investment into the world's biggest tournaments. That comes after the Europeans threatened to boycott all future World Cups. But FIFA insists nobody is selling football.

World Sports' Christina MacFarlane explained what's at stake before FIFA issued this response to UEFA.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN SENIOR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, this is a huge, momentous decision and a strong rebuke from UEFA to watch. What Gianni Infantino was planning to do here was essentially to commercialize the World Cup through private sales to private entities and without notifying any of its members, its leaders or even members in Gianni Infantino's inner circle. Were told that, you know, even some of his vice presidents didn't actually know what he was planning with this FIFA forward enterprise.

So, the 55 to 0 unanimous decision you saw was essentially an outrage from its members that they've been blindsided by this decision in addition to the fact that they feel that Gianni Infantino is attempting to sell the soul here of world football.

It's telling that we haven't had a statement or any sort of reaction from FIFA yet. What we're watching for now is whether or not confederations like CONCACAF, like the Asia Football Confederation, are going to follow suit here and maybe look for a boycott as well to add to what UEFA is doing. We're hearing that CONCACAF are holding an emergency meeting scheduled for tomorrow. We have no idea if that is to hold some sort of vote for a boycott or not.

And, you know, it's noteworthy that we have heard from Asia's confederation in the last few days roundly criticizing Gianni Infantino. They've been one of his biggest backers in the past. The fact that this represents a split in this support for him could be significant because if these two confederations alone go the way of UEFA, well, not only could we see Gianni Infantino losing support for this business deal, this FFE, but he could also lose support for his leadership in his presidency, too.

I think many are viewing this moment as a referendum really on his time as FIFA president, on his leadership, as we look ahead to that FIFA presidential election in March.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: The group in charge of football in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean has also rejected FIFA's proposal, but it's not short of a European-style boycott.

The CONCACAF statement says members expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies. In addition, the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing FIFA Forward programs following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history was questioned. The discussion reinforced the need for greater transparency and proper governance.

Quite a statement. President Trump's close relationship with FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has long been on display. And now, Joshua Kushner, that is the brother of the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is part of the private investment group that wants a piece of the action, too. We asked "Sports City" podcast host Randall Williams how is that being received.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDALL WILLIAMS, SENIOR REPORTER, BUSINESS OF SPORTS, BLOOMBERG NEWS: UEFA and many members of football organizations around the world have long felt uncomfortable with FIFA's cozying up with President Trump, and this is just another part of that.

You know, I think if you're going to raise money, you want to have a lot of different conversations with potential investors, with other private equity firms. Bloomberg has previously reported that that didn't happen, that this was being discussed for many months, even before the World Cup began.

[02:10:06]

And then you think about the things that also occurred. President Trump was given a FIFA Peace Prize. And then 30 days later, we seized the Venezuelan president. Ninety days later, we went to war in Iran. And so, all of these has left everyone feeling very, very uncomfortable.

Now, you're talking about raising $4.2 billion and giving everybody a piece of this. UEFA and CONCACAF and I imagine many more football organizations are going to be like, wait a second, stop right here, let's take a deep breath and let the World Cup end before we start trying to make even more money for next year's event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: We are following a developing story out of Pakistan where the bodies of four missing mountain climbers have now been recovered after an avalanche. At least six other climbers are still missing. Rescue teams in helicopters and on the ground are searching a broad peak in the Karakoram mountain range. No identities of the bodies have been released yet. Communication with the group of 10 climbers was lost after the avalanche on Thursday. Among them is the world-renowned Nepalese climber Nirmal Purja. He made history in 2019 by climbing 14 of the world's tallest peaks in just over six months.

Joining us now for more on all of these is Mike Valerio in Beijing. Mr. Valerio, good to see you in terrible times, though. What is the latest on this rescue or recovery? What's going on?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I would say, Benny, the term isn't clear, rescue or recovery, but it certainly is gathering intensity because when we were with CNN broadcasting live in the last hour, there were two bodies that were found, now it is four.

And we also want to reiterate our reporting on the board that the GPS signal from four of these climbers is still reaching first responders. So, we're trying to shore up reporting to see whether or not that is helping, reporting team Lex Harvey, Ross Adkin, Xiaoqian Lin in Hong Kong and Sophia Saifi in Islamabad, who have reporting on the board, CNN.com, for this story.

So, in terms of where this has happened, you're right to point out that's the exact location of the introduction. If you think of your China and Pakistan geography, we're talking about the far western frontier of China, the eastern fringes. This mountain, Broad Peak, is on the border of Pakistan and China, it's access from Pakistan.

And the roster of people who are missing, of course, we have Nims Purja, who's leading a team of 10: Five Nepalese climbers, a Pakistani mountaineer, an Omani climber, an American climber, somebody from China, and then one other international member of the team. This is according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan and reporting from the Associated Press. We're working to confirm those names.

So, also, we have encouraging news in terms of how the speed of this operation can pick up. Clear conditions for today, and that is expected throughout the weekend.

But in terms of how this man, Nims Purja, gained international stardom, if any of you watching us right now, wherever you are in the world, having seen the Netflix documentary "14 Peaks," this is a man who performed the extraordinary. The feat of scaling the highest mountains in the world, all 14 of them that are above 8,000 meters or 26,300 feet, that had previously been done in 2019 in the period of seven years, and this man did it in under seven months, six months and six days.

So, he rose to fame through that feat and was trying to scale this mountain, the 12th tallest in the world. But, again, no confirmation on whether he has been found. The latest breaking details, four bodies, Benny, unfortunately, recovered from the mountainside.

HUNTE: It is awful. In the last hour, you were discussing whether China is sending help. Do you have any news on that front? And also, what was the reason for this climb?

VALERIO: So, no details on whether China is sending any kind of helicopters. I think we have two Pakistani army helicopters that are part of this effort, and Pakistan hasn't signaled that it needs help. So, no help from China yet.

And as to why this was happening, he posted on X that after he climbed this peak, Broad Peak, on the border of Pakistan and China, he wanted to do one more in the Himalayas between the border of China and Nepal. And that, Benny, would lead him to become the first person to climb all of these 14 highest mountains twice without supplemental oxygen. So, this was part of a wider plan.

And he posted on X before he began this journey -- quote -- "Broad Peak," the one in Pakistan and China, the one we're talking about right now, "I asked for nothing but safe passage up and back down. I take zero mountains for granted. Not one. The moment my foot leaves base camp, it's 100 percent. Always has been. Always will be."

[02:15:03]

So, certainly, astonishing to take account of the feats that he has accomplished and astonishing this news. And we're all, yes, as we work on the story in three cities, trying to hold our breath and, you know, see what is revealed from these rescuers, Benny.

HUNTE: Well, thank you for bringing us that. I'm sure you have the latest for us later as well. Mr. Valerio, thank you.

VALERIO: No problem.

HUNTE: Thousands of migrants desperate for a better life make a dash for the Spanish border. But as some do break through, others pay for it with their lives. That story is ahead. See you in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:20:00]

HUNTE: Dramatic scenes in the Spanish territory of Ceuta as thousands of migrants from Morocco broke through a border fence. Officials say at least nine people died as the crowd rushed in on Thursday with border guards unable to stop them. There were similar scenes in another Spanish enclave, Melilla, where the border with Morocco is now reportedly closed.

Spain is sending the military to Ceuta to maintain security. Both enclaves are located on the Moroccan coast, across from Spain. They have often been targets for African migrants who see them as entryways to Europe. It is still unclear what caused that sudden rush across the border.

Local authorities have linked it to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling, which makes it harder to return migrants who arrived by sea. But Moroccan activists doubt that, saying most local people are not even aware of the ruling.

A near apocalyptic scene as crews battle new wildfires in Spain. Flames erupted in the mountains of the northwestern provinces of Zamora and Leon amid Europe's fourth heat wave of the summer. Nearly 400 firefighters are now working to control the blazes. That's before high temperatures across the region add more fuel to those fires. Wildfires also continue to spread in the eastern province of Castellon, ravaging more than 23,000 acres or 9,300 hectares.

In France, tinder dry conditions are fueling massive wildfires there, too. Temperatures are soaring throughout the region. On Wednesday, Paris saw temperatures above 102 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius. Temperatures for Friday are expected to be a bit cooler at 29 degrees Celsius or 84 Fahrenheit. The heat is contributing to fires all across Europe.

CNN's Melissa Bell is on the front lines for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is what the village of Le Porge in southwestern France looked like a week ago. These videos filmed by Mathieu Plessis, one of a handful of locals who stayed behind to try and help firefighters.

MATHIEU PLESSIS, LE PORGE RESIDENT (through translator): There were flames jumping of over a kilometer. We had flames 25 meters high or even taller. It was -- well, it was the apocalypse.

BELL (voice-over): By Friday morning, however, this was all that was left of his home.

PLESSIS (through translator): We're at my home. We're at my family home.

BELL: You've been here for seven generations, and this is what's left.

PLESSIS (through translator): But the next morning, when we came back, everything was still burning.

BELL: What was inside that house, which has belonged to your family for generations?

PLESSIS (through translator): My whole life, there was an aquarium with fish. I had a snake in a terrarium. I couldn't save it. I couldn't save everything. Everything burned, even the animals. It breaks my heart.

BELL (voice-over): Some locals here accuse authorities of sending firefighters elsewhere just when the fire hit hardest for them. As it spread, they were engulfed and felt abandoned as firefighters raced towards the popular tourist hotspot of the Cap Ferret peninsula.

PLESSIS (through translator): Everyone deserves to have their home saved, to have their living space saved, whether they're rich or poor, we're all human beings.

BELL (voice-over): His neighbors didn't fare much better. Many of their houses were destroyed as well. Overall, in the village of Le Porge, 180 houses were destroyed, making it the hardest hit by the Gironde fire. BELL: That trail of devastation that led to Le Porge began here just

over a week ago at ground zero of the Gironde fire. And here on the outskirts of the village of Saumos, you get an idea as well of just how violent it was.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Saumos.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Ukraine is stepping up drone attacks on a top Russian retailer. I'll speak with a reporter just ahead about what they're hoping to accomplish there. See you in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HUNTE: President Trump is having second thoughts about allowing Ukraine to produce a key air defense weapon. He told the Financial Times on Thursday he's not sure he'll give Kyiv a license to make Patriot missile interceptors. He promised he would do that at a NATO summit earlier this month. Ukraine is facing a shortage of Patriots, the only weapon that can stop Russia's most advanced ballistic missiles. Mr. Trump spoke hours after a massive attack on Ukraine, which killed at least nine people and wounded more than 50 others.

Poland says what appears to be a Russian missile crashed and exploded deep inside its territory during those strikes. Poland is a NATO member. But a military official told CNN there are no plans to discuss a joint response by the alliance. European leaders have condemned the attack. But Ukraine's president says condemnations can only go so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): European countries have made numerous statements, particularly regarding the Russian missile that flew into Polish territory and exploded somewhere in a field near Lublin.

[02:30:01]

Most importantly, however, it's not just about condolences or condemnation, its about providing air defense missiles, precisely the kind of pressure on Russia that can stop this senseless Russian war, all their attacks and their terror. This war could have ended long ago, but Putin doesn't want that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: But one of the questions is, did that missile end up in Poland by mistake, or was Moscow trying to test NATO?

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has more on that for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It's a complex task for Poland to respond in a way to something the intentions of Russia around, which are obviously unclear. Now, there are a lot of coincidences here that need to be examined. This is a cruise missile that flew 90 kilometers into Poland, meaning for several minutes it was being presumably seen on Russian radars, Polish radars, F-16s scrambled by Poland and other aircraft.

They didn't actually intercept it. It seems to have crashed landed, leaving a 10-meter wide crater that is remarkably deep incursion.

Secondly, it's an incursion that happened about 31 miles to the north of where Polish prime minister Donald Tusk and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had met just a matter of hours earlier. That's something of a coincidence. And it also comes to after weeks of warnings in which Western officials have been concerned about Russian escalation.

We really can't define Russia's intention here. Was this a deliberate test of NATO's resolve and defenses with something relatively new here? We've not seen a cruise missile landing in NATO territory really for years here, unprecedented. Or is it simply one of 70 missiles fired by Russia that night going astray or being caught in some kind of jamming, potentially going off course?

But this ultimately, many Russian analysts say, is part of the strategy sometimes to see what Russia can indeed get away with. And indeed, if this was an accident, use it to observe the nature of NATO's response.

And while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said he does not believe Poland was the target here, it's clear that the Russians will have been observing the nature of NATO's response here. Jets scrambled, but no interception, and Poland has publicly been under pressure because of its decision to supply some patriot missile interceptors to Ukraine, who urgently need them to its east, leaving perhaps its own stocks low, joining a global shortage of these exceptionally vital interceptor missiles.

And so, this is clearly a moment in which NATO have to simultaneously show resolve and resilience to prevent this from being something Russia tries. Again, if indeed it was intentional by Russia, while at the same time not sounding the alarm for domestic clamor for some kind of more muscular response.

That itself a complex task that yet again also emphasizes the nightly threat. Ukraine indeed is under 70 missiles fired, the number of ballistic and cruise missiles fired by Russia, now exceptionally high compared to a matter of months ago. And of the 280 drones fired, Ukraine says they intercepted 260.

Still, a death toll of at least nine, six of whom from one family. The Voronov, living not far from Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipro region. Their house hit four children amongst the dead. They're part of a civilian toll that is growing, I think it's fair to say the month of July, the deadliest since April 2022, 427 Ukrainian civilians killed.

Russia clearly escalating the toll it wants to take on Ukrainian civilians here. The number of missiles ballistic and cruise that it's using against Ukraine. Perhaps sensing a gap in their interceptor capability, there, well known public here.

Zelenskyy in Washington desperately hoping to get more interceptors. They want to make them themselves. That hasn't actually happened yet. And so I think a crisis of winter potentially increasingly in the mind of Ukrainian leaders here as they see these months of summer involving so many more Russian missiles and that threat towards Eastern Europe, increasing.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Ukraine has struck yet another logistics hub belonging to the Russian retailer Wildberries in the city of Volgograd. Drones have hit more than a dozen sites in the past few weeks in a bid to disrupt the company's operations. Some call Wildberries the Russian Amazon. It is a linchpin of the country's consumer economy.

Kyiv claims the Wildberries facilities are legitimate military targets because they supply Russia's frontline troops in Ukraine. Moscow, however, denies that. Ukrainian drones hit one facility south of Moscow on Wednesday, forcing staff evacuations and a halt in deliveries.

The company says about 10 percent of its storage capacity has now been destroyed, with tens of thousands of dollars in losses.

Joining me now, Alexey Kovalev, an investigative reporter and independent journalist.

Good to see you, sir.

Ukraine has now carried out repeated drone strikes against Wildberries warehouses across Russia. What's the thinking behind focusing on this one company so consistently

[02:35:00]

ALEXEY KOVALEV, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER/INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST: Hi there. Good morning.

And yes, it's a very smartly chosen target because obviously Moscow will deny that it -- that it -- it's legitimate as one. But if you look at very -- if you take a very cursory look at the company's catalog, it's pretty obvious that it sells a lot of not just military coded like, you know, coffee mugs, military themed, and other merchandise, but actual combat tested armor plates, drones, drone components, including those that don't have any plausible civilian use at all, like, specialized drop rigs for drones, for dropping specific kinds of Russian grenades. And it's pretty much out there in the open. So, you can flip through thousands and thousands of items like that.

That has been specifically promoted as supplies for troops in the field. And, you have in the reviews, you can clearly see that the purpose people are buying this, all this merchandise for like armor vests and, and helmets and goggles and FPV drone components that people are buying it with one purpose in mind only. And they're quite explicit that this is the -- this is the product that is sorely needed at the frontline in what Russia calls its special military operation.

So the purpose of thousands and maybe tens of thousands of these items sold in Wildberries is pretty clear. And it's not one-off purchases. It's obvious that this has been going for a while. And, there are specialized vendors selling only military equipment, despite the fact that all of this goes against the company's own terms of services, they adopted one, about a couple of weeks before the before the first attacks.

And they simultaneously prohibited the windows on the platform from selling any merchandise of military purpose and also prohibiting sales of that. So there, the company is still selling all of those items as we speak, despite the fact that they violate their own terms of services.

HUNTE: Yes. These strikes on just affecting the military, they are disrupting many people's lives and small businesses too, all across Russia. What sort of impact will that have internally within the country, do you think?

KOVALEV: Well, the biggest impact is, of course, on the consumer economy because tens of millions of Russians depend on Wildberries. It's much more than Amazon, I think, in that, it's replaced a big chunk of retail trade in Russia in general. And also, it's just so pervasive.

There is a pickup point in almost every residential building across the entire Russian. That's 11 time zones. So, it's indeed one of the most effective logistical companies in Russia. And it's selling millions of items every day and delivering it everywhere for the from the westernmost Russia all the way to the Pacific Ocean. And you have to be a very efficient logistics company in order to be able to do that.

And, there is also another aspect to this is that Wildberries, in fact, has -- the Russian military has outsourced parts of its procurements onto private contractors such as Wildberries. Of course, it's not official, but it's an ad hoc decision by many units.

There are many Russian military units that are occupying Ukraine who have been experiencing shortages in, in all kinds of equipments, from ammunition to even to body bags that they have to -- they have to ask their civilian supporters to buy and Wildberries and deliver to this frontline units, because the Russian defense ministry itself kind of is chronically, chronically unable to plug all the gaps in logistics and, and supplies. And that's where the kind of grassroots supporters of war, there are -- there are a lot of them in Russia and they pulled together the money and they post out crowdfunding drives for specific units in the Russian military listing specific items on Wildberries.

There is a lot of genuinely dual use stuff, like a lot of medical supplies, for example. But some are very explicitly crowdfunding for very obvious military equipment, like, body armor and helmets and, FPV drones that are quite clear that are going to use in combat context, not for -- not for racing, because you don't really need a spoon -- you don't need, really need a spool of optic -- of the optic fiber cable 20 miles long --

HUNTE: Okay.

KOVALEV: -- to be engaged in hobby, hobby drone racing.

HUNTE: Okay. Well, thank you so much for your insight there. There's a lot going on. We appreciate your insight. Journalist Alexey Kovalev, thank you.

KOVALEV: Thank you. Bye.

[02:40:00]

HUNTE: A man who witnessed a fatal shooting is breaking his silence after the break. Why he says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is lying about Jose Salgado and how he was killed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HUNTE: A witness to the fatal shooting of a man in Texas is breaking his silence. Jose Trinidad was inside the van of Lorenzo Salgado, who we see here.

[02:45:03]

When Salgado was shot by a federal immigration agent, Trinidad was sitting only a few feet away when gunshots rang out, and now he's speaking out for the first time about what he saw.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSE TRINIDAD ROJAS PLIEGO, KEY WITNESS IN TEXAS SHOOTING (translated): I feel a bit traumatized or something like that. I'm sad about what happened, and especially about what I saw, since I was the one who witnessed it all.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jose Trinidad says things will never be the same, that he's traumatized by the shooting because he saw it all.

The 52-year-old construction worker witnessed the final moments of Lorenzo Salgado's life from inside the van driven by the man he simply called El Patron, the boss.

It was just before 7:00 a.m. on July 7th when ICE officers in unmarked cars started pursuing the four-man crew of construction workers in East Houston. Trinidad says he was sitting a few feet behind Salgado in the van.

Jose tells me during the pursuit, he heard the men up front say they were being chased by ICE officers. Videos show ICE officers pursuing Salgado's van in unmarked cars, at one point racing past the van on Canal Street. The last video shows ICE officers taking the three other men into custody and Salgado on the ground handcuffed just after being shot.

LAVANDERA (translated): When the officer shot, where was he standing?

TRINIDAD (translated): On the side.

LAVANDERA (translated): Who's side?

TRINIDAD (translated): Of his brother.

LAVANDERA (translated): On the passenger side?

TRINIDAD (translated): The passenger side.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Trinidad says the ICE officer shot Salgado through the passenger window.

The Department of Homeland Security says during the chase, Salgado attempted to evade arrest, then weaponized his vehicle and tried to run over an ICE officer. And that's when an agent opened fire in self- defense.

TRINIDAD (translated): That's a lie.

LAVANDERA (translated): That's a lie?

TRINIDAD (translated): Yes.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Trinidad says the DHS statement is a lie. There are no known videos that capture the moment of the shooting. The ICE officers were not wearing body cameras.

Trinidad says ICE agents were never in front of or behind the van and that Lorenzo was about to turn himself over to the officers.

The three men with Salgado inside the van have been in custody since the shooting, but this week a judge ordered Trinidad's release and this is the first time he's spoken publicly in detail about what happened.

After his release, Trinidad paid tribute to his friend at the memorial honoring Lorenzo Salgado on Canal Street and then prayed at his friend's gravesite.

Jose Trinidad says he and the other men in the van were simply going to work and that he's speaking out in hopes of getting Lorenzo Salgado and his family justice.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LAVANDERA: We asked the Department of Homeland Security to respond to Jose Trinidad's allegations that their version of events in the shooting was a, quote, "lie". DHS referred all questions to the FBI, which is investigating the shooting. The other two men that were in the white van with Trinidad, they remain in immigration custody. Trinidad is out, but there are terms of his release which dictate he must check in regularly with ICE. He has to wear an ankle monitor, and he is not allowed to work in the U.S.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Houston, Texas.

HUNTE: Peptides are the latest wellness trend sweeping parts of the health industry. We'll have the story and explain why some are willing to take on the hidden risks of buying from the gray market.

See you in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:50:49]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., HHS SECRETARY: Americans have been told that they had to choose between healthy food and food that they can afford, and that's simply not true. Our first episode features chef Andrew Gruel, and together we prepare salmon cakes with bean and arugula salad. The entire meal costs only $4.91 a serving. That's less than most fast food meals. The real food show is not just about cooking. It's about helping Americans reconnect with one another

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. there on the launch of his new cooking show, "The Real Food Show". It's on his YouTube channel.

It features his revised dietary guidelines, which were criticized for emphasizing meats but praised for rejecting ultra processed snack foods. Kennedy said the show reminds people that cooking with real food can be simple and affordable, but it's also a chance to gather around the table and share at a time when people are too often isolated.

Peptides, a new obsession in some parts of the health industry, growing in popularity among wellness influencers and some doctors, too. But beneath that viral hype lies a fast growing online shadow economy with little oversight or regulation.

CNN's Bijan Hosseini takes a look at the global peptide gray market

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CLANCY, WORKOUT COACH: This is the beginning. Here we go.

BIJAN HOSSEINI, CNN INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS SENIOR PRODUCER (voice- over): Today, I'm doing a Hyrox workout led by Sean Clancy.

CLANCY: Okay, on to the run. Now we go.

HOSSEINI: What?

HOSSEINI (voice-over): A four-time first place finisher.

HOSSEINI: This is not fun.

HOSSEINI (voice-over): My workout partner is Marcello Ferri. He's a fitness influencer and a self-confessed peptide user.

He's one of the millions of people around the world now incorporating peptides into their wellness routine.

But what exactly are peptides and why is everyone suddenly talking about them?

In simple terms, peptides are short chains of amino acids. They act as signaling molecules in our bodies. They've exploded in popularity across the fitness and wellness world. Proponents credit them with faster recovery, fat loss, better sleep, sharper performance, and muscle growth.

The problem with peptides right now is that the market is moving much faster than the science. While some peptides like insulin and GLP-1s have been tried and tested, many of the most popular peptides haven't even started human clinical trials.

MARCELLO FERRI, WELLNESS AND LONGEVITY ADVOCATE: Are you ready?

HOSSEINI: No. I'm not.

(LAUGHTER)

HOSSEINI (voice-over): Marcello represents a growing number of people who have chosen peptides as part of a doctor supervised wellness protocol.

FERRI: It's going slowly and you get your shoulders down as quickly as you can.

HOSSEINI (voice-over): But for every Marcello, there are millions more navigating this market alone.

HOSSEINI: So it didn't take very long to get pointed in the right direction to order some peptides through the gray market. I got on a Reddit forum. I reached out to one of the members. They gave me their contact, a guy named Bob on Telegram. I reached out to Bob and he immediately sent me his catalog.

I mean, there are dozens and dozens of peptides on here, and they are a fraction of the cost. This is why so many people are going to the gray market, because they can get these peptides much cheaper. But the problem is the safety risk. FERRI: I speak to people all the time that are using peptides, and I

always say, oh, you know, where are you sourcing them from? And so many of them are sourcing it from, from a gym, for example. And when you're -- when you're buying something from a Telegram group, you've got absolutely no idea what's being injected.

HOSSEINI (voice-over): A peer-reviewed analysis published in 2026, evaluated over 6,000 gray market peptide samples sold directly to consumers. Between 42 and 71 percent failed to meet basic quality criteria, and bacterial contamination was present in 15 percent of those tested.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Peptides, you want to know more about peptides?

HOSSEINI (voice-over): Despite the risks of the gray market, many people, including doctors, do see potential in peptide therapies, and clinics are opening all over the world, including here -- inside one of Dubai's most exclusive addresses, Atlantis The Royal.

[02:55:08]

At AEON, the process begins with a full diagnostic checkup.

HOSSEINI: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know by any chance your height and weight, sir? Have you weighed yourself recently?

HOSSEINI: My height is five foot ten and a half.

HOSSEINI (voice-over): Body scans, blood panels and heavy metals and mineral analysis.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Circumference, measurement and progress.

HOSSEINI (voice-over): These are just some of the tests I had to complete before seeing the doctor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay, let me know if it's painful.

HOSSEINI: Dr. Basanta.

DR. BASANTA KHATRY-CHHETRY, AEON CLINIC: Hello. How are you?

HOSSEINI (voice-over): And there's a reason I had to get all this testing done. Some peptides work by stimulating blood flow and accelerating cell growth. And in the wrong body, that can be life- threatening.

KHATRY-CHHETRY: If we see any indications of something being abnormal, we can act and intervene quickly. Again, if you're doing alone, you won't know.

HOSSEINI: Well, that's the scary part, right? I'm not only getting the peptides because you don't know where they're coming from or what's in them, but not having any of this data. So how do you know if they're working or if they're harming you?

KHATRY-CHHETRY: Exactly. Not only working, harming right? The hidden harm and who you're following up with yourself with google, Doctor Google.

HOSSEINI: Yeah.

HOSSEINI (voice-over): At the end of my consultation, Dr. Basanta prescribed me four peptides and he taught me the proper way to inject myself.

HOSSEINI: Disclaimer, this is for demo purposes only. I will not be injecting myself with peptide. We're using saline, right?

KHATRY-CHHETRY: Exactly.

HOSSEINI (voice-over): If you're considering peptides, the medical advice is consistent. Only use compounds prescribed by a licensed physician sourced from a regulated pharmacy, and monitor your journey with regular blood work. It's a practice Marcello says he's been doing for years.

FERRI: Peptides. They hate to say they're not -- they're not going anywhere. But I think if it's something that you're interested in, make sure you're doing your research, make sure you're working with licensed physicians and don't just copy. Don't just blindly copy something because an influencer online has told you.

HOSSEINI: Yeah.

Quick dip?

FERRI: Good.

HOSSEINI: Oh, that is good

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HUNTE: The U.S. State Department will soon offer passports featuring President Donald Trump's image nationwide. This commemorative passport also features his signature. The State Department began issuing the passports earlier this month to people who applied in person at the Washington, D.C. Passport Agency. Starting from next month, applicants can get one at passport events at agencies all across the country.

All right. That's all I've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta.

I'm back with more a CNN NEWSROOM after this quick break. See you in a moment.

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